Sustainability in the apparel industry

What'simpact along the supply chain?

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1

Fiber production

For any piece of apparel, the first step is to produce the fiber that is used to produce it. This could be synthetic fibers, cellulose, cotton, or other natural fibers.

Cotton is sometimes referred to as the dirtiest fiber in the world – more than 16% of global insecticides are used for its production. Growing cotton for one jeans and one t-shirt takes 20.000 liters of water.

Organic cotton and other natural fibers might be a solution, but they account for less than 1% of global cotton industry.

3

Fabric production

The knitting and weaving of yarn into fabric is a step in the production chain that takes a comparably little amount of energy. However, almost 10% of the impact of the apparel industry occurs by producing the fabric.

4

Dyeing & finishing

Dyeing and finishing accounts for more than a quarter of the footprint of the apparel industry. It is the most energy intensive stage, as dyeing has a high energy demand due to wet processes which require large amounts of heated water. Many chemicals, such as bleach, are used in this step.

5

Assembly

Assembling apparel accounts for only 5% of the footprint of the apparel industry. It is labor intensive, but a lot of the labor is still conducted manually, and the energy requirements of the machines are more moderate. However, the social implications of manufacturing clothing are a prominent subject of dispute.

6

Distribution

7

Use phase

The consumer use phase is where the product is handled, washed, repaired, and possibly passed on. The magnitude of this phase’s impact involves assumptions about consumer behaviors, which vary widely in the real world. The main drivers are the energy and water consumption from washing, as well as energy-intensive drying.

THE problem

The fashion supply chain is extremely complex. But how can an international fashion brand with thousands of products set goals if they don’t have insights into their supply chain?

The solution

Together with Ecochain, the brand modeled different user scenarios to investigate the environmental hotspots in its supply chain. The company was able to identify 3 key areas in which it could significantly reduce their environmental emissions. The result? A clear roadmap to create clear reduction goals and reach them.

Download our quick start guide and become the world's most sustainable fashion brand.

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

Create Environmental Product Declarations on the fly

Environmental Product Declarations – short EPDs – are independently verified documents that communicate the environmental impact of your products.
With Ecochain, you can create EPDs for your entire product portfolio in no time.

Ecochain: Product Overview

An introduction to Ecochain

Every business is different. We strongly encourage you to schedule a demo with our environmental experts, so they can tailor it to your needs and show you how to get the maximum out of Ecochain.

Gain insights into impact flows

Take a closer look at the materials and processes that contribute to the environmental footprints of your products.

Control your full portfolio's Footprint

Conduct LCA Life-cycle Assessments across your entire product portfolio at once and easily compare the footprint of individual products.

Compare the footprint of product lines based on production numbers

Understands the impact of product lines within the context of production numbers.

Analyze the environmental impacts of scope 1,2 and 3

Gain insights into the full scope of your impact across your value chain. Identify hotspots that point out opportunities for sustainable returns. Collaborate with value chain partners to optimize your environmental performance.

Dive into the details of your footprint

Zoom into the details of your footprint and break it down into 32 different environmental categories – from CO2 to water toxicity – or display your footprint as an Environmental Cost Indicator (ECI) score.

Start being future-proof today.

These are your six steps to reduce your emissions, increase your efficiency and unlock business opportunities.

Schedule a Demo

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Receive our tailored offer – the offer includes the implementation of Ecochain through our environmental specialists.

Receive easy and self-explanatory templates to prepare the company data. Kick-off meeting with Ecochain specialists.

Ecochain’s specialists help you with implementing the software, deliver actionable insights and train your team.

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Want to become the world's
most sustainable fashion brand?

Download our quick start guide to tackle apparel’s biggest problems. Learn what really drives environmental impact in the apparel industry. Find out how you can effectively make your fashion business more sustainable.

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